For Alexandria's Treasure
by Josh1013
Summary: Life isn't a fairy-tail, and Zidane has learned that the hard way. But, that doesn't mean he's going to give up either. To what lengths will Zidane go to be with the woman he loves? He knows it wont be easy, but then what has he got to lose? This story takes place before and directly after the final battle.
1. Prologue

A/n: I was working on new chapters for part 2 of Underworld when the idea for this story hit me. It is in no way directly connected to Underworld but there may be a few characters that are very similar or may even use the same names. Anyway, in this story Gaia is not on the brink of destruction. However, Zidane may soon learn that there is a lot more to politics than dinner parties and boring speeches. Finding a way to be with Garnet may be a much bigger task than he ever anticipated!

...

It was late, the sun had long since set as the group camped near Maiden Sari. Dagger and Eiko had wanted to visit the Eidolon Wall one last time before the final fight that surely awaited them in Memoria. Zidane had hoped that it would be a lighthearted visit and a nice break compared to the heaviness of what they still had to face. For him, it wasn't just that they might not make it back from Memoria, it was more along the lines of what if they did? What then?

They had stayed at Maiden Sari the previous night and he would've been lying if he'd said that he hadn't hoped to spend some time alone with a certain princess. But, after seeing the serious expression she carried as she walked through the destroyed city toward the carved wall, he had decided that it wasn't the time. Truth be told he hadn't felt very talkative since what they had found out in Terra. The thought of finding family, or at least people like him had always seemed like something that would bring him happiness, but instead he had ended up feeling more alone than he had ever felt.

He had wanted to give up, call it quits, but it had been Dagger that had finally pulled him from his darkened state. It was with her that his thoughts now dwelt as he watched her sleeping fitfully on the other side of their small camp. She and most of the others had gone to sleep a couple of hours ago, but sleep was the last thing on his mind when he had volunteered to keep the first watch of the night. He was supposed to wake up Steiner right about now, an act that should have pleased him greatly, but he figured he'd just let the man sleep instead.

It was still hard to believe sometimes that Steiner would actually sleep while he kept watch. For so long the man had refused to let him take watch on his own. It wasn't out of niceness, he knew; it was because he didn't trust a lowlife thief to protect the princess.

That's what it had always come down to, wasn't it? Dagger, no it would soon be her majesty Queen Garnet, was royalty. She was meant to be with someone of "high status", a noble or a prince maybe? She was supposed to be with someone that had all the right table manners. Someone that knew all of the fancy words and had studied under the most brilliant scholars. Someone that dressed in those nice suits that probably cost more than he would make in a lifetime. What chance had he ever thought he had with a woman like her? She was incredibly smart, wondrously beautiful, funny when she wanted to be, serious when she needed to be. Gods, her was voice was like an angel and she had the kindness to match. Not that she didn't have a temper and stubbornness at times, but that just made her even better didn't it?

Damn. He knew he had fallen hard, too hard. It wasn't like him to get stuck on one girl. Hell, most of the relationships he had had in the past, if you could call them that, had lasted maybe a week at the most but no matter how hard he tried, and despite what blank would swear, he really had tried to forget about her before Alexandria had been destroyed. But, trying to forget her had only made him think about her even more. She wasn't like any other girl he had ever met. He'd be lying if he said his interest in her hadn't been almost entirely carnal in the beginning, especially the way that damn jumpsuit accented every curve, but gods how fast that had changed!

Even now, as he watched her sleep he held none of the dirty thoughts that had filled his dreams on more than one occasion and left him little choice but to "take care of the problem" the old fashioned way. Instead, he would've loved for her to wake up and sit by the fire with him so that he could listen to what she now referred to as her boring castle stories. He almost chuckled at how much she had changed since the start of their journey. Though he was sure she would never admit it, she too had thought of him as just a common thief at first. She had been so clever and yet so inexperienced with things that had always come to him easy.

He still remembered her surprise, and Steiner's distaste, when he had first cooked a mu that he had hunted and cleaned for them. Steiner had of course wanted to make sure he didn't poison anything, but to his own surprise she had started eating the meat quietly despite his protests. Being a noble, he imagined that was probably the first time she had eaten without the proper utensils, but even without them, she had managed it gracefully. It wasn't until she asked what they were to drink that he got the reaction he had initially expected.

"I can't drink out of a stream!" she had protested.

"Why not? It's crystal clear." He argued.

She had visibly paled as she gazed into the water. "What if some animal upstream.."

"Aw, come on, it's fine I promise." He laughed

"If you say so…"

Zidane shook his head to clear the memory but couldn't hold back a small grin. How he had slowly but surely corrupted her! Now she was often the one to go collect the water, which was sometimes closer to being mud than clean water. She had even insisted on joining him during quite a few of his hunts, only becoming squeamish when he had begun to clean the animal. She's really become something else. He thought, for not the first time that night. I'd like for those pompous nobles to see her now.

But, they would see her. Once this was over, she'd go back to Alexandria to rebuild and the Dagger he knew, the Dagger he had fallen in love with, would be forever out of his reach. If he were lucky he might be able to see her atop her balcony once the castle was restored. If he squinted hard enough that is.

The truth was exactly what Steiner had insisted on telling him for most of their journey; she was royalty, and he was just a lowlife thief. Not even that, he wasn't even human. What kind of person or rather what kind of life had he expected? Dagger, or Her Majesty as he would he would soon have to call her, was destined for great things, but what about him? He was created to be an Angel of Death. When this is all over maybe I should become a mercenary for hire or just try to stay out of everyone's way? Kingdom's hired mercenaries all the time, maybe then I would at least get to talk to Dagger every once in a while. He let out a heavy sigh. Thinking had never been his strong suit.

Trying to push the thoughts from his mind, he carefully placed more branches onto the small fire and watched as the flames slowly grew, but as he stared into the fire his mind went to the one place he had tried so desperately to avoid: He pictured Dagger married, but not to him. It would probably be some rich snob from Treno! His tail thumped against the ground angrily as he throw the last stick into the fire sending small sparks scattering. Why couldn't he have been rich? If he had had his own kingdom they wouldn't laugh and throw him out if he came to propose to her…

…

"You were supposed to wake me up hours ago." A stern voice came from behind him, though it held no anger or bitterness. Zidane waved his gloved hand dismissively, not too surprised that the man had woken on his own. He was surprised however, that the clanking of Steiner's armor didn't wake the others up as he joined him to sit on the log by the fire.

There was a long silence as both men stared into the fire and that was fine by him. He no longer held any grudges against the man, but at the same time he didn't really feel like starting a conversation at the moment either..

"Something on your mind?" Steiner asked finally, in a low gravelly voice.

"Nah. I'm okay." He lied.

"Well, you haven't been yourself lately. I think the princess is beginning to worry." Steiner prodded.

"Does it matter?" He returned defensively.

Steiner returned to staring at the fire for a while before replying. "Is it because of what you discovered on Terra? We cannot change those facts, but for what it is worth we do not see you any differently."

"Yea, I know." He scoffed.

"Then what is the problem? I do not understand, if that is not it that what is it?" Steiner replied in exasperation.

He did not turn from the fire. "You wouldn't understand."

He expected Steiner to growl in frustration or at least leave him alone but the man did neither. "Perhaps not… I know we often do not see eye to eye, but I will endeavor to try."

He turned to Steiner in surprise. "Can I ask you something and you be completely honest?"

"Of course." He answered with a slight air of hesitation.

"What are the odds that a lowly commoner could ever be with a princess?" he asked.

Steiner let out a heavy sigh. So, that was what was troubling him. "I assume you mean you?"

He didn't answer.

"Despite what I originally thought of you, you have proven to be both honorable and trustworthy. I think you would be a fine choice for her Highness… but as for the people…" Steiner trailed off not wanting to hurt him further.

"That's sort of what I thought." He replied tonelessly, having understood where the knight was going with it. "It doesn't matter what I do or how hard I try, in everyone else's eyes I'd still just be a common thief. "To this, Steiner said nothing. What could he say?

It seemed as though almost an hour passed before he spoke again. "If I somehow became a prince or a king do you think thing could be different?"

Steiner shook his head. "We can desire to be many things, but they are not always possible."

He stood up and stared toward the stars then turned his gaze to Dagger who was still sleeping. "After this is over, after we beat Kuja, I'm gonna leave. As much as I'd love to always be with her, life isn't a fairytale. The lowly thief doesn't get the princess. I'll do my best to slip off quietly. Just.. tell her that I ran off with another woman; that it's what I do. It'll hurt her less that way and she'll soon forget about me." He began to walk toward his travel worn cot.

"Given the choice would you have truly become a prince and deal in politics just for the princess?" There was a tone is Steiner's voice he wasn't sure he had heard before.

"If I could, I'd be anything she needed me to be... G'night Rusty." He turned over in his cot and let sleep claim him.

Steiner pondered the thief's words even after the battle was over and the airship flew toward Alexandria leaving Zidane to try to save the man they had worked so hard to defeat. It was not the departure either of them had expected, but he could honestly say that he hoped it wasn't the last time he saw that particular thief."

..

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed the prologue! If you did, Please leave a review. Your feedback will help to steer this story in the right direction. I'll try to post chapter 1 along with a new chapter to Underworld soon!


	2. Recovery

When he awoke, his head was pounding far worse than any headache or hangover he'd ever had in his life. He opened his eyes, but shut them again quickly with a groan as he felt the burn from the bright white light above him. That light wasn't the sun; not unless he had hit his head hard enough to forget what that looked like. But, that didn't seem likely. Images of running down the roots of the Lifa Tree, finding Kuja almost lifeless, and most of all saying goodbye to Dagger and the others flashed quickly through his mind. With them, came the sting of regret.

He had planned on leaving anyway, but why had it been so painful? He had wanted to slip away quietly, instead he had done the opposite. Had leaving been honorable? It didn't feel like it; he felt like a coward. He hadn't even been able to look at Dagger as she flew away and out of his life.

"You are awake." A feminine voice spoke with only traces of mild excitement. For a short moment he had hoped it was Dagger, but he knew her voice far too well for that to be the case. "Mikoto?" He croaked hoarsely. Gods he was thirsty, how long had he been out?

"Yes brother, I have been taking care of you the best that I can." She answered matter-of-factly. He heard the shuffle of her feet as she walked to his side."

"How… how long?" he managed to groan.

"You have been unconscious for three months and four days."

"…."

Three months? How had he been-

I managed to figure out the workings of the life support system onboard the Invincible. It wasn't too difficult, as I had been on this ship a few times before. I have not yet told the others that I found you. I didn't know if you would recover with your many injuries. You had twelve broken bones, seventeen fractures, a punctured lung and a severe concussion. Now that you are awake, I will let your friends know."

He opened his eyes quickly, despite the pain, and grabbed her arm as she began to walk away. "No!" he breathed. Damn that had taken more effort than it should have.

She turned back toward him with a look of puzzlement across her face. "I do not understand."

He tried to sit up, but found himself failing miserably. To his relief, she grabbed him and helped push him to a sitting position. Surprisingly, that didn't hurt. But godsdamn if he wasn't weak!"

"Wa… wuu" he tried to say water but it came out as a dry croak. Thankfully she understood and moments later brought a glass of water to his mouth which he drank greedily, spilling some of it down his chin. It amazed him slightly just how much better he instantly felt from one glass of water. "I mixed a bit of Elixer into the water." She offered, as if reading his thoughts. "Why do you not want me to tell them, Brother? Are they not your friends?"

"They are. I just... Don't tell anyone for now, okay?" He knew he couldn't stop her if she intended to, but if she did, what would he say to them? He didn't want them to welcome him back just for him to tell them that he couldn't stay. Before the final battle he had seen the way Dagger looked at him, and as much as his heart had soared at the look of love in her eyes and the connection they had shared that couldn't have just been between friends, it had hurt just as much. He had heard the sadness in her voice when they had said their goodbyes. It could've just been because he was leaving, but he felt that she knew, a part of her anyway, that even if he came back things could never be the way they had been those last few months.

"I understand." She answered, though her face might have told otherwise. "If they ask, I will… lie. Is that the correct term for when you do not speak in facts?"

He chuckled lightly at this. "Yea, that's pretty much it. Thanks, Miko."

She turned to him with a mixture of confusion and concern. "My name isn't Miko. You know that it is Mikoto; is your head not healed? The scans showed that-"

"Woah, I'm fine! It's a just a nickname!" He exclaimed, afraid she might subject him to more treatments, whatever those had been.

Her concern faded away, leaving only blank confusion. "A nickname?"

"Yea, it's a special name that friends or family sometimes give each other." He replied with a laugh, stretching his muscles that had been dormant for far too long.

Mikoto smiled warmly at that. "Family."

He nodded and pushed himself off the bed, intending to stand. Instead, all he managed to do was fall limply to the floor as his legs refused to support his weight. "Ugh.." he groaned. That was embarrassing..

"You will have to take it slowly, your body is not longer used to being mobile." She studied him for a moment, but thankfully he heard no laughter in her voice. "It may take quite a while.."

….

"Quite a while" ended up being almost three months. The first few weeks were spent just building his strength up enough to stand. Having finally conquered that, he'd rather not admit how long it had actually taken him to take the first step. Had learning to walk as a child been so difficult? His headache had eased to almost non-existence around that time as well. By a month, he was walking normally but didn't dare attempt running or jumping.

During that time, he found joy in Mikoto's company. The other Genomes no longer seemed to be anywhere near lifeless, but rather had taken on almost childlike qualities. He was saddened to see however, that already three of the black mages had "stopped" as they called it. But, it didn't matter how you dressed it up, they fact was all of them were dying. It was only a matter of time until… but they didn't seem to be letting it get them down. They went on about their lives trying to enjoy even the smallest moments that each day brought. He supposed there was a lesson to be learned there.

He had expected, and hoped, that his dear friend Vivi would soon arrive, but in those months of recovered there had been no sign of the young mage, nor had anyone else stopped either. Who was he kidding? They probably hadn't even looked for him. Kingdoms didn't send out an entire airship crew just to find one commoner, let alone a thief. Hell, could he even be called that anymore? If he could, he had likely become one of the worst thieves in Gaia. When was the last time he had successfully stolen anything?

He had been walking by the creek in the Black Mage Village, and as this thought crossed his mind, he stopped and stared into the clear water. He barely recognized the person staring back at him. His face had regained its color from the last time he had looked. His hair was no longer dirty and his eyes no longer looked pale grey. Piercing blue eyes now stared back at him. What surprised him the most however, was that there was a light stubble of hair on his chin and the sides of his face. "Shouldn't I be starting to look more like Kuja?" he asked to no one in particular.

"No, because you were created differently." Mikoto answered, as she walk up from behind him. He turned to her and saw that she was struggling to carry a basket of freshly picked apples. He began to offer to carry them for her, but she shook her head. "I don't wish to pick them up again."

He sighed in defeat, feeling useless. "How do you mean different? He asked, struggling to keep up with her quick pace as she carried the apples to the small market.

"You and I were modeled to be more… Human. Unlike the other Genomes, you and I will age and show other characteristics that humans possess, such as full life spans and the ability to reproduce. The others will not age but eventually just.. stop. I have yet to figure out a way to change that for them.

"If there's anyone that can find a way, it's you, Miko." He offered, trying to cheer up the suddenly sullen girl. His thoughts were on the other genomes, and so he barely registered the relief at not looking like Kuja. Though he had no plans of "reproducing" anytime soon.

"Would u like an apple?" She asked suddenly, the seriousness of her previous thought apparently forgotten. "The trees here are very bountiful. They will help you recover your strength and though it is not very scientific, I find them to be very delicious."

He chuckled at her words and accepted one of the apples. "Thank you." He smiled still slightly out of breath. "How much longer do you think it will be before I'm back to normal?"

She looked at him thoughtfully. "If by normal you mean until your strength is fully recovered, then it depends. I believe recovery is deferent for everyone. Maybe a few more weeks."

"Oh." He replied simply. He enjoyed the village, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to go somewhere else.

"Have you decided what you will do when you have fully recovered?" She asked.

"Uh.. haven't really thought about it." He lied. Truth was, he had been thinking about very little else. His dreams had constantly been filled with Alexandria and a certain raven haired woman that dwelt there. Had she found someone else already? Did she even-

"Perhaps you should find a hobby. I find reading to be pleasurable." She commented knowingly.

Him read?

….

A few days later, he found himself standing in the meager library that the black mages had constructed. It had many books that they had undoubtedly thought would be helpful, such as cookbooks, books concerning herbs and medicine, and even basic homebuilding. He skimmed though, finding nothing that peaked his interest until his gaze landed on a small section of Avon's poems, a fictional book called "The Last Cherry Blossom" and finally to a book at the end titled "Of Kings and Kingdoms". He pulled it carefully from the shelf, its bindings looked far older than any of the other books. He wondered vaguely where the mages had found a book so old, but didn't dwell on it as he opened the book to a random page somewhere near the middle and began to read what he decided was meant to be a letter to someone.

Dear friend, I have not heard from you in three seasons but I hope these words find you and find you well. I wanted you to know that I took your advice, but I believe I have gone as far as I can go. I have naught left to give. My family, all of the people I have ever truly cared about have abandoned me or are dead. Have you too forsaken me? I told you many times before I ascended to the throne that I was not worthy of such a seat.

I have ruled this kingdom the only way that I know how. I have been hailed as a great ruler in these times of war, but what would they think of me if they knew that it was you, not I, that was meant to be king? Would they cast me aside or into the fire if they knew not a single drop of Noble blood ran through my veins? Sometimes I wonder..

I don't suppose it matters now; my life nears its end. I grow more weary with each passing hour. I dare not sleep however, for I fear that when I do, I will sleep the sleep of the dead. I have many regrets in my life, but it was never this. I do not hold any bitterness for this life, if my rule helped even one individual… then I shall die peacefully. I ask of you only that you forgive any of my shortcomings, for they are many, and that you find peace in knowing that I have lived a full life and none of the blame is yours to bear.

With love, Edgar

He closed the book with a frown and gently placed it back on the shelf. So, the man hadn't been born a king? He started to reach for the book again, but stopped and instead walked out of the library.

….

"So, have you decided where you will go?" Mikoto asked as Zidane walked in, out of breath from his morning run. "You may not be quite as fast as before you were injured, and may not ever be, but I would say that you have recovered well." She commented, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I have to go back." He breathed. "I may not have a chance at being with her, but I have to at least talk to her one last time."

She turned from him and walked to one of the contraptions she had been tinkering with not meeting his gaze. "So, you are leaving today then?"

Even though she had said almost nothing against him leaving, he knew his younger sister wished that he would stay. He walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you know we'll see each other again soon." He said cheerfully.

She looked at him skeptically and did not return his smile. "I know that you are leaving with the three black mages that are teleporting to Treno, will you be returning with them as well?"

"Well no, but-"

"Then it is unlikely you will return anytime in the near future."

She was right, if things went the way he hoped, it would be long while. However, he hated seeing her sad, though in truth she still showed little emotion. "Look, I WILL be back, till then I'll send lend letters as often as I can, just so you know I haven't forgotten about you."

She did brighten visibly at this. "I enjoy reading. You had better tell me about the places you go."

"Of course." He laugh.

"Well you better hurry. They will be leaving any moment." She warned, motioning to the black mages that were gathering magical energy outside.

To her surprise, he hugged her tightly then. "Goodbye, Miko. Thanks for everything!"

She shook her head as he hurried toward the door. "Zidane!" she called.

He stopped abruptly and turned toward her. "Yea?"

"Don't forget your book that you were reading." She replied knowingly, looking to the table beside the door. He nodded somberly, then picked up the book. Moments later, he was gone.

"Good luck, Zid." Mikoto whispered quietly. "Finding that book wasn't easy, but maybe it was worth it."

...

Thanks to everyone who took the time to leave a review on the prologue and all of my silent readers who have continued to read my fic! I hope you enjoyed chapter 1!


	3. The Dark Truth

A/n: I didn't intend to finish this chapter so quickly, but apparently I cant stop writing lol as I said before, i wanted this story to be completely different from Underworld, but I couldn't help myself from adding a short guest appearance lol I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

I should probably add that this is where the fic will begin to turn quite a bit darker; hopefully not enough to lose your interest. Either way, please leave me your thoughts!

…..

Breathing heavily, Zidane struggled to his knees and pulled his dagger from the man's chest. Blood pooled out from the lifeless body, staining the concrete walkway. His head reeled and he fought back the nausea that threatened to overwhelm him. Distantly, as if in a daze, he heard the woman screaming in fear. He turned in the direction of her voice and saw soldiers running toward him. With a shaking hand, he pushed himself to his feet and ran.

…

A few hours earlier..

"It feels like forever since I've been here." Zidane commented wondrously as he walked through the gates of the city. The three mages had agreed to stay on the outskirts of the city after he had volunteered to get the items they needed. They gave him quite a large amount of Gil considering the mages very rarely dealt with money. They were seeking various potions and herbs that weren't readily available on the outer continent, and if he had to guess, he'd say that where probably for another of Mikoto's attempts to extend their short lifespans.

He didn't know if it would be any more successful than any of the other attempts, but he had grown to care deeply for the black mages and he had no intention of being the one to crush their hopes. He just hoped he was able to find everything on the list..

He was fairly well known in Lindblum, so as he walked toward the market in the poorer section of Treno, he did his best to keep his head down and his tail wrapped around his waist so as to hopefully not attract too much unwanted attention. It didn't seem to be a problem though, as he made it all the way to the item shop without anyone even seeming to notice him. Had he truly changed so much?

The last time he was here he had barely walked a few feet past the entrance when a girl he had flirted with on more than one occasion had blown him a kiss and given him a flirtatious wink, which he returned, before sauntering off. He had felt flattered of course, and a sense of satisfaction, up until he had broken his gaze from her and noticed Dagger stomping off angrily. She didn't talk to him for the rest of the day. Even the next morning, when she finally did, her words had been icy toward him and it had taken more than a little effort to win back her graces. He hadn't found flirting to be nearly as easy or enjoyable after that.

Shaking his head to clear the thoughts of the raven haired woman that always seemed more than willing to fill his mind, he walked up to the item shop and handed the woman at the counter his list. She looked at him skeptically for a moment, then began retrieving an assortment of small vials and bottles from the shelves behind her. He waited patiently for a few moments until she placed what he assumed to be most of the items in front of him. " I have almost everything on your list, except for the devil grass and the elixirs. She gave him a knowing look that he didn't quite understand. "I believer there may be a few nobles in town that have the devil grass, but it's a toss up where you might find the elixir. Those are very difficult to come by, especially a large bottle." She offered.

He sighed. Of course it wasn't going to be easy. "Any idea which noble might have the devil grass?"

She shook her head apologetically though he had a sense there was something she wasn't telling him. "You might try the pub, you'd be surprised how many nobles spend their time there drowning themselves in a bottle."

He chuckled at this. I guess having all the money you could want wasn't enough to make them happy. He thanked her, then paid her what she requested, noting again with dismay that that left him with previous little Gil, nowhere near enough to buy an Elixir if he were lucky enough to find one. But, he was a thief after all, so if there was even a possibility that it would help the mages, he would just do what he had to do.

Before heading to the pub, he thought it best to carry the supplies back to the mages. He wouldn't be doing any sneaking or running if he had to carry a box of fragile items the entire time. He didn't bother trying to keep his head down this time, and was still only noticed by two kids that pointed at him and said something to each other. Unfortunately, they spoke too quietly for him to be able to hear what they were saying.

When he arrived back at the entrance to the city, the mages thanked him happily for the supplies, and he assured them that he would try to hurry to get the rest, though they did not seem to be too impatient as they looked around incredulously at the lights of the city, as a child might gaze upon a place that was unfamiliar to them but also held a magical sense of wonder. He truly hoped that Mikoto would soon be successful.

…

He pushed open the door to the pub and was surprised that there was a crowd inside. Maybe the reason there weren't many people in the streets was because they were all here? For the life of him, he couldn't remember the place ever being this crowded; finding the one person that had what he needed wasn't going to be easy. His first inclination was to go around asking random people till he found what he was looking for, but if he was planning on stealing it, that would be incredibly stupid. With resignation, he decided he would go sit at the bar and think about his options.

After pushing his way through the crowd, he noticed there was one empty stool. Seated next to it was a man with short brown hair in a black outfit and armor unlike any he'd seen in his travels. There was a sword on his back, but no one seemed to be paying him any mind as he sipped on a tall glass of whisky. As he sat down, he noticed that there was a blond haired woman seated next to the man that was dressed in a similar fashion and was staring at the untouched glass in front of her as if deep in thought or turmoil.

"See something that sparks your interest?" The man asked with an amused chuckle.

Zidane flushed a little at having been caught looking at the woman, though it hadn't been out of lust. "Uh.. Sorry. Is she your.."

"No." He replied simply, seemingly expecting by his question. "She is my companion; dare I say friend?"

"Oh." Zidane commented lamely and scratched the back of his head. "No offense, but judging by your outfits, you must not be from around here."

"I guess you could say we are… travelers, though we have no intention of staying here very long." The man commented, turning back to his drink. From the corner of his eye he noticed the blond-haired woman staring at him. He could have sworn he had seen a deep longing in her eyes, but when he turned toward her to say something she quickly turned away and began to drink greedily from her mug.

"Judging by the way you walked in here and the fact that you haven't ordered anything, I think it's safe to say you're not here for a drink." The man commented knowingly. "And I don't think it's company, either."

Damn, was he that easy to read? "No, to be honest I'm looking for an Elixir and Devil Grass."

The man grinned. "It just so happens I might can help you with both, If you're willing to do something for us that is."

He wasn't sure he liked the sound of that, but what choice did he have? "Alright.. What do you want me to do?"

"I thought you might say that." The man replied, all traces of the amusement in his voice was gone. "Do you see the extravagantly dressed man in the far corner?"

He turned, and found that it was hard to miss the large man that was sitting at a table of other nobles, laughing loudly, no doubt fueled by his drunkenness.

"His name is Burtrard. He is the wealthiest man in Treno, perhaps the most revered. But, he is also the most conniving and cynical. In short, I think you will find that he is a very evil man deserving of the death that you will carry out."

"What!?" Zidane Exclaimed, causing a few people to turn in his direction. Swallowing nervously, he turned back to the man at the counter. "You expect me to kill him just for an elixir?" he whispered harshly.

The man stood up and slapped a handful of gil on the table. He then turned to the woman who now looked more than a little tipsy. "It is time for us to go. Are you alright?" She glanced at Zidane sadly for a moment before nodding. The man then reached into a pouch at his side and pulled out a bottle of purple liquid and sat it down heavily on the bar before turning back to Zidane. "I will give you this Elixir freely. As for the man.. Go listen to his words and choose his fate for yourself, but know this, there are those that make the world a better place by living, but there are also those that could ever only make the world a better place by dying. When you are done, whatever you decide, he keeps a black stone inside his left jacket pocket. I need you to destroy that stone. That is what I ask."

He picked up the bottle and watched as the man helped the blond-haired woman to her feet. There was still something about her he couldn't quite place. As they started walking away, he called after them. "Hey, Thank you.. and don't worry, I'll destroy it."

The man snickered as the pair took another step. "I know you will, Tribal."

Wait. How did they know his name? "Who are you?' He asked to their retreating forms.

The man stopped once more. "Names aren't important. What IS important is that the man I showed you has plenty of the other item you seek. Farewell, may we meet again in another life." With that, the pair rounded a corner and was gone. Neither of whom were ever seen again.

…

Why had the man who had given him the elixir seemed so sure that he would kill the obnoxious noble in the corner? He chose not to get up from his seat at the bar and tried to watch the man for a few moments. Sure he was the epitome of every noble he had ever disliked, the kind that would eagerly flaunt their money while people starved to death at his feet, but did he deserve to die? Let alone be killed be his own hands?

He looked down at his hands thoughtfully. He had promised he would destroy the black stone, whatever it was, and he would. But, surely he could do that by just pickpocketing him when he was distracted. It seemed he and the other nobles were having a conversation, but to his aggravation, he couldn't make out any of it. He still knew very little about this "Burtrard" and his apparent friends, but what would it hurt for him to get close enough to hear? After all, there was an empty bench not far from where they were sitting..

He moved through the crowd, being careful not to attract attention to himself and was thankful that his thieving skills still came in handy from time to time. He still wasn't sure if this was a great idea, but even before he managed to sit on the bench a single word caught his full attention and it had nothing to do with why had come to the pub in the first place. That word.. was Garnet.

He tried his best not to let his surprise and interest show as he quickly sat down and tried to drown out the rest of the crowd. After only a few moments of listening, his surprise turned to anger.

"That stupid bitch doesn't even have royal blood!" Burtrard spat.

"She is nothing more than a commoner." One of the women at the table voiced in agreement, a few others nodded.

"Does she truly think that she can achieve world peace, when her own kingdom is in shambles?" Another asked as she fanned herself.

"I hear it was her fault the kingdom was destroyed in the first place!" A little bookish man seated across from Bertrard added.

As Zidane listened, a part of him wanted to scream that she had done everything she could do, that she had almost died trying to stop it. So what if she wasn't the original Garnet? No one cared about Alexandria more than she did! Instead of voicing these thoughts, he forced himself to keep listening.

"From the way you talked earlier, Lord Burtrard, I do not believe she will be a problem much longer.."

"You heard correctly." Burtrard replied with a dark grin. "Her Majesty will soon be seeing her dear mother."

Zidane almost jumped at this; he felt as though he had been stung.

"How?" one of the women whispered eagerly.

Burtrad took another drink from his wine before replying. "Devil's grass. All it takes is one dose and the deed will be done."

Zidane felt his heart racing, threatening to pound out of his chest. So, that's what devil grass was! He had assumed it was just a herb, it had never crossed his mind that it could be poison! What if someone had already given it to her!?

"When?" The third woman asked seductively.

Burtrard smiled smugly at her, "It could be as soon as tomorrow. I need only to give the order."

So, there was still time…

"Once she's gone they will have no choice but to let you take the throne! With your money, you can simply buy anyone that opposes you!" She returned with a laugh.

"With you as my queen!" He laughed happily, grabbing her hand and lifting it in the air.

The bookish man was the only one among them that seemed to be nervous. "Should we be talking about this out in the open?" He asked cautiously. Burtrard's smile fell a notch as he glared at the man. "I-I mean there guards drinking nearby.."

Burtrard broke out into a loud obnoxiously boisterous laugh and followed it with an even darker smile that made Zidane cringe. "Guards!?" He spat disbelieving. "Do you truly believe that the guards will arrest ME, when I am the one that gives them their orders? If I chose one of them to do the deed, do u think they would object to someone of my stature? Not even the regent of Lindblum would dare send troops to oppose me! I own lands in EVERY city!"

There was silence for a few moments following his speech by everyone else at the table, but after another round of his laughter, all of the others returned to their high spirits. It made Zidane sick to his stomach as he hurried out of the pub, nearly shoving people out of his way. He felt tears of anger and sadness burning his eyes as he pushed into the night air. He grabbed onto a nearby railing, afraid he might fall under the weight of what he had just heard. They were going to kill her! Even though he hadn't seen her, he was sure she was doing the best she could and would never do anything to hurt anyone! How could someone be willing to kill an amazing woman like her!?

The answer, however, was painfully clear; even if it was hard to swallow. If they had their way, they would kill her simply so that they could take her throne… He couldn't let that happen. Dagger was strong, but how would she be able to defend herself against an enemy she couldn't see? As he stared down into the water below the railing, he realized that the strange man at the bar had been right… He was going to kill Burtrard. What choice did he have? Men like that couldn't be reasoned with, and if he tried to tell the guards, who was to say that he wouldn't be the one ending up behind bars?

His hands felt sweaty as he nodded to himself with grim resolve. He didn't like what he had to do, but once the man left the bar he would either follow him home or wait till the man was on a secluded walkway and then.. he would put Burtrard's plans to rest.

He didn't have to wait long as moments later the man in question came walking confidently out of the bar. Looking at him, there was hardly any signs that the man had even been drinking at all. If there was one thing he had to give nobles credit for, it was that pretty much all of them knew how to handle their drink. Making sure that Burtrard was far enough away so that he wouldn't be noticed and yet close enough to keep up with, he followed.

Despite that killing the man was something he would have desperately wished he didn't have to do, at least it seemed as though it would be easy as the man headed for the dimly lit alley. Just as he began to pull out his dagger, however, is when his plan took a turn that he had hoped wouldn't happen. There was a soldier standing in wait at the beginning of the alleyway, and he turned just in time to see Burtrard give him what had to be the devil grass.

"Godsdammit!" he breathed quietly as the guard began to walk away opposite the direction of Burtrard, a smug look of satisfaction shown across both men's faces. Now he would have to stop that guard! But Burtrard could- cutting his thoughts short, it was time to stop being subtle and take action! He made sure Burtrard wasn't watching, then set off at a run after the guard intending to tackle him to the ground and wrench the poison away from the would be assassin. He had dealt with these guards before, and he was sure the man would put up little challenge, if any.

That too didn't go the way he had expected. As soon as he drew near, the guard whipped around with a dagger of his own already drawn. Zidane skidded to a stop and pulled his dagger from its sheath. "Boss told me there might be people that would try to stop me, but I gotta say I didn't expect one of you so soon."

"Give me that poison!" Zidane growled. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if it means saving Dagger!"

"Dagger?" the guard laughed. "That's what you call the soon to be late queen? You must be one of her worthless friends she traveled with."

"Give. Me. The poison." Zidane repeated, growing angrier by the moment.

"You'll have to kill me for it." The guard replied smugly. With that, the guard lunged for him with his blade. Zidane recoiled, narrowly missing the sting of its edge. This guy was fast! There was no way he was just a normal guard! The man swung again and this time he met steel with steel. "Not bad." The guard chuckled. Zidane pushed him back, and felt that slight sense of weakness he had grown accustomed to over the last few months. He had lied to Mikoto, he still wasn't completely well, but he hadn't expected to have to fight anyone either. He would have to finish this quickly.

After parrying another of the guard's attacks, he countered with an attack of his own, slicing into the man's arm. The guard let out a pained grunt and punched him in the ribs with his other arm. Zidane coughed and quickly tried to catch his breath. As soon as the guard had hit him though, he had turned around and begun to flee. With little choice, he gave chase.

Zidane cursed his weakness as he struggled to gain any distance on the man he was pursuing. It was almost halfway across the city and in the heart of the "Rich" sector that he finally got a break as the guard stumbled and collided with a snobby looking woman in a yellow and dress. Knowing that he would probably regret what would happen afterword, he leapt onto the man. To his dismay, even with his weight crashing down on him, the man somehow managed to pull his dagger free again and the two began to wrestle over control of the blade.

The guard was much stronger than he had expected, and he struggled to keep the tip from pushing into his throat. With a yell of desperation and anger, he shoved with everything he had and in the next instant the knife was buried deep in the guards chest. He began to cough up blood and no longer struggled. Zidane met his pained gaze with grim remorse. "Do you… think you stopped anything?.. There will.. be others… that.." He died.

Breathing heavily, Zidane struggled to his knees and pulled his dagger from the man's chest. Blood pooled out from the lifeless body staining the concrete walkway. His head reeled and he fought back the nausea that threatened to overwhelm him. Distantly, as if in a daze, he heard the woman screaming in fear. He turned in the direction of her voice and saw soldiers running toward him. With a shaking hand, he pushed himself to his feet and ran.


	4. Burtrard

Just as he had thought, word of what had happened and who was to blame spread throughout Treno almost instantly. He had been more than fortunate to find a cloak that fit him amongst the wares at a small shop in the poorer district. The people there had not yet heard of what he had done, or simply did not care about anything that happened in the rich sector. Either way he was thankful for them as he now sat against a stone wall near the edge of the city. He had given the mages the last two items that they had needed; and they had thanked him as though he were a hero before teleporting back to the black mage village.

He didn't feel like a hero. What had he accomplished? All he had done was kill one guard that was trying to poison the woman he loved. He loved her. He could say that now to himself as easily as stating the fact that he was still breathing, and gods he missed her. Had she moved on? Had she married some snobby prince that could afford to buy her all the nicest things? His heart sank the more he thought about it. Even though he wanted desperately to hurry to Alexandria and see for himself, there was still work to be done. He had vowed to protect her, no matter what the cost, and he would be damned if he let someone that tried to kill her get away with it.

He could sit here wondering if he had done the right thing for hours, but the fact was that Burtrard surely had been one of the first to know that his would be assassin was slain, and there was little doubt that he was already planning another way or finding someone else to send to kill her. He had to be stopped, one way or another. He pushed himself to his feet and began walking back toward the rich sector. It was time to find Burtrard.

To his surprise, finding him proved to be incredibly easy. He had expected the man to have gone into hiding after his guard was slain, instead he found him standing in the middle of the square addressing a sizable group of people. He blended in with the crowd and began to listen to the man's speech. "Dear friends! It is sad news that I must share with you this night! Rumors have been spreading that one of our guards, a man with a family and who has served this great city with loyalty for many years, has been slain. I am saddened to say that that rumor is true!"

He didn't like where the man's speech was heading as there was a gasp of fear and disbelief from the audience that had gathered to listen, and he was again thankful for the cloak as none had yet noticed his presence.

"Yes!" Burtrard continued. "A good man has been slain tonight on these very streets! His killer did not care if your safety was endangered! He did not care if peace was broken this night!

Zidane could feel dread seeping in as the crowd began to grow angry. It was only a matter of time before they would be out for blood.

"I do not believe that this man's murderer was one of you! No, I believe that is what they wanted you to think! Do any of you truly believe that a man such as this loyal guard could be murdered in cold blood by one of our own upstanding citizens?" There was a murmur of agreement amongst the crowd as the considered this. Zidane wondered where he was going with this but was sure it couldn't be good. Despite this, he had to again give the man credit, as he put on a show of remorse worthy of one of Tantalus' plays.

"No! It is with great sadness that I must speak the truth! This may be hard to believe for some of you, but the assassin was sent by none other than the tyrant queen of Alexandria!

There was another collective gasp from the audience, and it was obvious to Zidane that most if not all of them believed the accusation. The man had showed no proof of anything, and yet the group of people, all of them, looked as though they were ready and willing to go to war. The nobles alone of course wouldn't be any physical threat to Alexandria. But, their combined wealth and resources might be another story altogether. Had he made a horrible mistake killing the guard? No. If he hadn't stopped him, the queen and more importantly, the woman he loved, would have been dead. What difference would anything have made then? He needed to think! Why couldn't he stay calm and think!?

To his dismay, Burtrard continued with his voice elevated as if he had already won some victory, with no longer any trace of his faked sadness. "Yes! She would like you all to believe that she wants nothing but the restoration of Alexandria, but kingdoms are not rebuilt without resources! Do you believe that a queen such as her will find a way to get the resources on her own? No! She will take what she needs from all of you! It will not matter to her if it leaves you penniless! Twice already, she has abandoned her own people! Do not think that she will give any of you even a passing thought?!"

Zidane growled in frustration and pushed himself forward in the crowd; he had to stop this! If he let Burtrard continue, it could be the start of a war! With Alexandria surely still struggling to recover, there was just no way that they would be able to handle another war so soon, whereas Treno had been one of the least affected placed in Gaia. If anything, they had all but prospered and grown stronger. He began to quietly pull the dagger from his belt as he drew to the front of the crowd but stopped as a young boy surely no older than six with curly brown hair approached Burtrard defensively. "She's not a Ty Rat! She's a good queen! My daddy says her and her comp- her friends saved us!"

Burtrard looked at the boy with an equal measure of distaste and disappointment upon noticing his ragged attire and shook his head before attempting to shoo him off. "You poor misguided boy.. Has living in the slums stripped you of your senses or are you simply too young to see the obvious? Either way, run along back to your parents. I would hate for you to further disappoint them with your ill-conceived notions of fairytales."

Zidane felt pride as the boy balled his fists and stood his ground firmly even as tears began to run down his face. "It's not a fairytale! We lived in Alexandria before it was destroyed! You're just a no-good liar!" There were a few chuckles and poorly concealed laughs from the crowd that stood watching the unexpected development, but even those that did not laugh obviously saw the boy only as amusement. He tried his best to bite back his anger for the boy as Burtrard knelt before him wearing a dark grin. "And who might your father be? Is he here among us? Surely u do not wish to continue to make him a fool?"

At this, the boy broke down crying, and instead of answering him, turned and ran toward the alleyway. Zidane did not want to let Burtrard cause any more damage, but that boy was upset from more than just the things that had just been said to him. With a sigh, he released his dagger and made his way after the fleeing boy. Like Burtrard, it did not take long to find him. The boy was sitting on the edge of the walkway, his feet hanging over the side and his head on the railing still crying. Without any introduction, he lowered his hood and sat beside the boy. At first, he said nothing, instead looking up at the night sky thoughtfully. After a few moments he could hear the boy's sobs subsiding. "Who are you? And why did you follow me?" He asked quietly.

Zidane did not answer, but instead asked a question of his own. "It's your dad isn't it? He was.. Hurt in the attack, wasn't he?" The boy remained silent, but his renewed tears told him everything he needed to know. The boy's father wasn't just hurt in the explosions; he was killed. His mother must have brought him here to try to start a new life. With sadness, placed an arm around the boy's shoulder. "My name's Zidane, what's yours? Everything is gonna be okay."

The boy sniffled a few more times before replying quietly. "I'm Ralph… how is everything gonna be okay without my dad? Mama works so much she doesn't even have time to play with me anymore.."

Zidane turned his gaze back toward the stars. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing that can bring ur dad back, none of you deserved what happened, but sometimes in this life, there's things we can't change. But hey, you do still have your mom, and it may not seem like it right now, but she loves u very much. I'm sure if she could, she'd be spending time with you right now. But sometimes, we have to do things to look after the people we love, even if it means you can't be with them the way you want to..."

He looked back at Ralph and could see that he was trying to understand. "I guess what I mean is, I know you're hurting and I know that's not gonna go away for a long time, but I'll bet your mom is hurting too and needs you just as much as you need her. If you stick together and you're there for her, she'll be there for you too and you'll get through this." Zidane finished with a smile. Ralph visibly cheered up at his words and thanked him before presumably running off to find his mom.

"But what do you do when the only way to protect the people you love is by becoming someone they'd hate…?"

….

Burtrard was sitting alone in his garden terrace, seemingly without a care in the world as Zidane could see no sign of any guards nearby. How could any man, even one this vile, be so at ease after trying to start another war for some personal gain? Zidane carefully clung to the shadows as he quietly drew nearer to the man who's dark plans he had no choice but to end quickly. He was careful not to step on any of the fallen leaves, for fear that there might be guards simply waiting where they could not be easily seen.

He was pretty sure he could handle Burtrard's guards if it came to that, but the last thing he needed was to give the people that apparently hated Dagger more fuel to use in rallying people against her. The thought that what he was doing might be hurting her as much as it was helping her was not lost on him, but it was too late to turn back now. He was so close he could smell the alcohol seeping from Burtrard despite the expensive perfumes that was meant to mask it. Were most nobles just drunks with money? Sure, he had drank his fair share, more if he was being honest, but at least he hadn't pretended to be something he wasn't. Had he?

He pushed the thoughts aside, and quietly pulled the dagger from his belt. In a matter of seconds, Burtrard would be done. "If you're going to kill me, have you not the stones to look me in the eyes?" Burtrard drawled, making him jump. How had he known he was there? He hadn't even glanced toward him. "Relax. I have no intention of alerting my guards, nor do I believe you will lay even a finger on me."

"And why is that?" Zidane asked guardedly, not moving from where he stood.

"Because knowledge is power, and power has always been the greatest form of currency. Rich as I may be, my wealth of knowledge far outweighs my wealth in coin. Do you believe that you are the first to try to kill me? No, there have been many others." He finished, taking a drink of his wine then swirling what was left in the bottom of the delicate glass.

Zidane didn't want to listen to the man because he was certain that anything he said would be lies, a gnawing doubt in the back of his mind wondered if he might hold some truths as well. "What knowledge do u think I would want to hear bad enough to not want to stop u?"

Burtrard did not answer for a moment, holding his gaze to the last of his wine as though lost in thought. "My knowledge always comes at a price. This time, the price is that you leave here and make no further attempts on my life. I know who you are, and I know that you have honor enough to hold to your word, as do I. So, those are my terms, I will tell you something I think is of great value to you. If you find yourself in agreement, then I live. As a bonus I suppose, I will make no further attempts to kill the lovely Queen Garnet, for in truth I care little whether she lives or dies. It was merely a profitable venture. What say you? Do we have a deal?"

He still didn't think he could trust him, but what did he have to lose by listening? "Alright. But how will I know you're telling the truth?"

"You may judge that for yourself." Burtrard replied and downed the wine. "You think me some monster for my actions or some grand puppeteer? No, I am simply a cog in a very large wheel, playing the part that was given me. I too bow to others and must demonstrate my loyalty to stay alive. The world is changing; there is no use trying to stop it. Those in power, ones with influence and reach far greater than my own, have already set the wheels of that change in motion. Her majesty was to be killed simply because Alexandria need not be a part of the equation. I have never claimed my hands to be clean, but I would not have any woman slain were it given to me to decide. I would simply have her dethroned, the kingdom left to mind its own business. But I am afraid her fate has already been decided by others I cannot control."

Zidane mulled this over, and as much as he didn't want to believe Burtrard, he could feel the sincerity behind his words. "Who is it that you bow to?"

"I will only give that information if you agree to spare my life and keep this meeting of ours a secret." Burtrard replied firmly, though with little emotion.

With a grimace, Zidane slid the dagger back into his belt. "Tell me."

For the first time, Burtrard turned toward him. "I know not who truly pulls the string, only the one who pays me handsomely."

"Then who is that?"

"Someone I believe you knew quite well I believe, though I wander how well you know her now." Burtrard commented darkly.

"Who?" Zidane spat, but could feel his stomach drop in anticipation.

"Freya Crescent.


End file.
